Utility Bike

While maybe not as cool as the Bakfiets, it's cheaper, and they're having a contest where I may win one if you click on the link below. So please, click!

Signature Editions

I saw this car, which is a Buick LeSabre, late '90's perhaps, while eating lunch. Except, from where I sat, I thought it said "Louis Vuitton." Not sure how I made that mistake, but at the time it was hilarious in its incongruity.

update: the next day, I see that Infiniti will be offering matched Louis Vitton luggage for their 20th anniversary

Build it!

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/05/bmw-considering-five-possible-variants-of-next-1-series-turboch/

Sure hope it's either the 3 door pictured here, or a 5 door. Seriously, a 1-series Sports Activity Vehicle? Might as well just buy a kiddy Tonka truck.

Wasn't it Obvious?

How did this make it out of the design studio? Overall, it's fine, but as the dad in "A Christmas Story" said about their Peking Duck, "It's...smiling at me."

This clearly takes cues from their Nagare design language, but it's poorly integrated into the rest of the car's design. Basically, they just shoved this absurd grill on it. It's too big, and being all black doesn't help.

I'm really not thrilled with it. I think if they simply took the top horizontal element and made it body color, or perhaps chrome, that might work. Or if the sides where slightly less angled, to take away some of the "smile." Whatever it is, they need to do, as my 2 and half year old would say, "sumpin'."

You'd think a car this expensive

Wouldn't come with wheels from Pep Boys.

Retrospective Review:1986 Lincoln Continental Mark VII LSC, part II

So Chris asked me to put in my 2¢ on driving the Mark VII, as I “inherited” it from him. He is pretty spot on when it comes to the description-with one tiny correction…it was maroon, not brown.

Bygones…

Since all the techno geekery has already been accounted for, I will just get to it.

I had mixed feelings when I was handed the keys to the Mark VII. On the one hand, I was 16 and I had a car. On the other hand, it was a Lincoln-a behemoth, and I, a girl. Not that its size didn’t come in handy. Since I was the only one of my friends who had a car, let alone could drive, I was able to really pack ‘em in (last count, 8 people, so I guess you could say it was roomy!). But imagine if you will, a girl of somewhat small stature (a diminutive 5’4”) behind the wheel. I looked rather out of place. I remember mom waving me off to school countless mornings (in her bathrobe no less) and erupting into fits of laughter-because all you could see inside this land yacht was my head through the window. In retrospect, it probably was pretty funny.

As for its engine, specs aside, the thing was a monster-and I had absolutely no business being behind its wheel. As a nascent 16-year-old driver, this Hot Rod Lincoln was a little, no, completely out of my league. The hot shot I was, I found myself racing (in my head at least) the car next to me at every light and every car driving next to me. It drove so smoothly and effortlessly that before I knew it I was rapidly exceeding the speed limit and really going faster than I had any business going. But it handled great and braked readily, I mean this car could stop on a dime.

I loved all of its stuff. I mean it had just about everything you needed and then some you didn’t. It had leather seats; although by the time I had the keys (c. 1993) the leather was spotty at best. So I had a white shag mess of a thing instead. It was imitation sheep fluff, if I remember correctly, but it was comfy and very posh! It kept the seats from burning my bum every time I got in the thing, all right? Can’t say it did much for the heated seat though. Made it a bit superfluous really, but then heated seats in Florida is pretty much academic anyway. The onboard computer was gadgetry at its finest. It had it all: automated mileage, trip, and fuel gauge + mileage (which came in handy planning pit stops let me tell you) just to name a few. The auto dimming rear view mirror was a nice addition. When those a-holes in trucks just couldn’t figure out how high beams worked, the mirror…well…well… it dimmed. I did appreciate the auto on/off lights. I mean how fabulous is it to turn off the car and not have to worry if you left the lights on or not? The car did it for you. Although, I did find many a dead battery in my next car. For weeks when I first got it, I was convinced this car would do it too. Yeah, it didn’t. All these gadgets really did make the car look like “the car of the future”. I had a friend who actually asked me if the car talked to me. Alas, no. Evidently this was one of the features dad opted not to get.

I only drove the car for about 4 months when, as mom puts it, “You did what your brother tried to do twice and failed”. Go me! Yes, my accident proved to be its Achilles Heal. Mom always hated the Mark VII, so she was pretty happy when the insurance people decided to put it down. Of course this did lead to the much-maligned Probe (more on this later).

Every now and then I see a Mark VII tooling around the Denver Metro Area and every time I point it out to my fiancé-who, by the way, is by no means a “car guy”. (BTW: his dream car is a Toyota Tacoma). He pretty much brushes it off with a simple and clear cut “cool”. Whether it is or not, I don’t know, but I sure did have some great times in it and great memories of it (most of which I probably shouldn’t share either). You know, I think I even still have the Mark VII emblem from the trunk hanging around somewhere. And no Chris, you can’t have it!

for those whose interest has been piqued by our Lincoln Posts, check out http://thelincolnmarkviiclub.org/ - chris

Here's the photo of the Mark VII after I killed it!

Post Partisan

I'll be honest, I've never really been sure what the hell "post partisan" is supposed to mean, but a commenter at the Washington Monthly gave what I thought was a great description:

It is worth stating here that no one is completely conservative or completely progressive. Even the most gun-loving, gay-bashing conservative will have an issue or two where he or she is moderate to liberal. Take Dick Cheney (please...HA! Sorry, couldn't resist!) for example. No sane person would call him moderate or liberal, but because of his daughter's sexual orientation, he leans to the center-left on gay rights.

THIS is what Obama means when he uses the term "post partisan." It isn't some kumbaya love-in mentality. It is the recognition that, for virtually everyone, there is something on which they can agree. Fostering good will now makes it more likely that when that special issue comes up for each member of Congress, the President will be able to draw on those legislators who agree.

Sports Rivalries

Just the other day, I was talking to somebody, I can't remember who, about football, and why some guys have such antagonistic, often violent, opposition to each other. My conclusion was that it must be part-and-parcel of competition; I'm not sure if Steve Jobs and Bill Gates get along now, but I seem to remember that being quite a spat (I'm not sure Jobs actually gets along with anyone).

One of my favorite bloggers just talked about exactly this. Here's his comments on tennis currently big rivalry, Federer-Nadal:

As I quickly learned, Nadal may very well be the nicest, sweetest, most generous tennis machine on the planet. He's almost too nice. It's hard to convince people that this is one of the great sport rivalries of all time when they spend more time hugging each other than trash talking.

Maybe it's a sports specific thing. The spat is more sensational than the enduring friendship, so maybe it's just more reported on. But when I see the reporting on my own much-loved and most famous rivalries, Ohio State vs. Michigan football, and apparently they can't even be bothered to shake hands at the beginning of the game, I can't help but think, "it's a game guys!"

Another Volkswagen I just won't be able to bring myself to buy

Like many, I had a bad experience with a VW. It wasn't as awful as some I've heard, but that was probably because it was a lease and after 3 years we parted ways. The problem wasn't so much the car. It did have it's transmission die at 24K miles - and we're talking stranding-my-wife-on-the-side-of-the-road broken. But most of the problems were little stuff that just irritates you. And guess what? It irritates you a hell of a lot more when the dealer exacerbates the problem. Like you take it in because the sunroof stops halfway open and the check engine light is on, you arrange your day around the service, and pick it up only to find the check engine light still on and the sunroof stops halfway when you open it.

And I really liked the car! It was a 2000 Golf 4-door 1.8T. The VW appeals by being an economical car that drives and feels like it's more expensive German brethren. It lacks the electronic frippery of, say, a 7-series while still evincing that marque's essential driving and tactile qualities . The difference between the Golf and it's entry-level competitors is so significant, that my previously "a car's a car"-indifferent wife, upon leaving a VW showroom, actually said "wow, there is a difference." We're currently on our third (increasingly expensive) European car as her daily driver.

After 5 European makes, I can't say the other 4 weren't devoid of little problems, particularly compared to a basically 10 year trouble-free run in an Acura. The 4 other Euro-cars were bought used (ranging from a Mini bought 2 years old, up through, well something bought when it was old enough to vote), while the Golf was brand spanking new. This makes for a very different outlook on similar situations. Being stranded by a dead fuel pump in a 10 year old , 130K mile car that is back on the road the very next day leaves a vastly different impression from a 1.5 year old, 20K mile car who's transmission completely gives up the ghost and leaves you in the lurch for 2 weeks while the dealer replaces it.

Despite the negative VW experience, they continually make cars I could easily see myself driving. The recently unveiled GTI-R is the car in the photo and referred to in the title. It looks great, eliminates the weight penalty of AWD and the VR6 in the R32, while allowing you a fully manual 6 speed and 20 more horsepower. Or the potential of getting the Polo 1.4 twin-charger here in the States. The new Passat CC is a beautiful car that has the features of BMWs and Benzes that cost significantly more. And how about the new Corrad Scirocco?

So for now, I'll stick with something else. Currently, that means a slightly used BMW and the aforementioned Mini (the car that can now buy booze hasn't been driven in 6 months, but that's another story). VW, you don't need to be perfect. An amazingly pleasant dealer experience, abetted by at least a free rental as a loaner (nice work, Knauz!), makes up for a sometimes temperamental and often expensive German car. A car that's in even a mediocre service department a lot less would another step in the right direction. With those sort of expectations, it shouldn't take much to get me back into a VW. I'm waiting.

Thankful to be proven wrong

Turns out my predictionating before the election wasn't so good:

It really should be a Reagan-style blow-out by Obama this November, that fact that it won't is scary.

But I'll gladly take the hit on this one.

Won't the real US please stand up?

Why aren't we outraged about the financial crisis - specifically the huge paychecks these guys/gals are (still) getting. Personally, being a bit of a socialist, I've always said they get paid too much/not taxed enough.

But a friend recently said something interesting while I was venting about executive pay and the lack of outrage. Maybe we aren't actually that outraged? Well, not exactly. His theory is that, put in the same situation, none of us would behave all that differently. The American dream is to be at the top of the pile, raking in the dough. Given the choice between doing the responsible thing, or taking home the big check, might we all do the latter? Are we not outraged, or do we have some seriously broken morals?

Top 10 Cars to drive, not drive, on first date

The folks at Autoblog have recently done some posts on the 10 best cars to drive or not drive on first dates. The cars-not-to-drive list is fine, mostly uncreative, but number 10 is pretty amusing:

Any time you get behind the wheel of a Ferrari, you're having a good day. The 599 GTB has all the goods: the prancing horse, a 600+ hp V12 and a $300,000 price tag. But it's not for first dates. We know you think we're crazy here, but if you show up with one of the hottest supercars around, the date peaks at "Holy $!%*, nice car!", and has nowhere to go but down.

However, the list for 10 cars to drive on a first date starts badly and goes downhill from there. The (not yet available) new Camaro and the Mustang? Mazda RX-8 and Caddy CTS-V? The (also not yet available) new Honda Insight? When they said:

The only problem is that we're less qualified to write [the best date car list] than [the worst date car list], but we decided to give it a go anyway

They weren't kidding. Two cars you can't even buy. Two pony cars ( ok, maybe that works for a subset of "ladies"). Two serious sports cars. The Camry made it on the "good" list because it's boring and would appeal to a date's parents (I didn't realize this was written for the High School audience only) but the Taurus made it on the "bad" list because, well, it's boring and somebodies' parents probably like it.

But lest I be accused of all talk and no action, I think I can come up with better list of 10 cars to bring on a first date:

1. Cooper Mini. Probably not the Clubman.
   
2. BMW 2002. Old BMW has cachet, doesn't scream prick, pretty hip. Won't strand you like the cooler but less reliable Alfa GTV
3. 2nd (and maybe 3rd) generation Benz SL. A classic, not as pretentious as the newer ones.
   
4. Original Saab 900 3-door. Hip and different. Not a Volvo
5. Volkswagen Passat. The choice if you want to look practical but not dull at the same time. Wagon may be preferable, may not, depending on the date (if date likes wagons, any Euro version may do, which also negates "Not a Volvo" from above)
   
6. Volvo C30. Ok, there's really nothing wrong with any new Volvos. I'm just a Saab guy. But the C30 is cool.
   
7. "Smokey and the Bandit" Firebird. Mainly for the ironic hipster, but even my wife likes it (and she's the reason the new Camaro and Mustang drew my ire earlier)
   
8. Jeep Cherokee. Note: there is no "Grand" in there. An unpretenious SUV, and in my opinion the one that deservedly began the current SUV craze, but not ridiculously large.
   
9. Any old, formerly expensive car. Good chance date won't really know what the hell it is, makes for interesting conversation, shows some eccentricity. And daring, since it might break down.
   
10. Any non-beater. If you need a car to impress your date, you're a loser. And who wants to date somebody who's that impressed by your car?

I've actually strived to make my picks fit number 10. I don't choose cars for potential dating situations because 1. I'm married, and 2. I'm a car guy. But if you are seriously considering my advice on this, uh, don't. See previous sentence.

Retrospective Reviews: 1990 Mercury Capri XR2

After a bit of a hiatus, my retro reviews are back. This was car number 3 I drove, the much maligned Mercury Capri XR2. Let's just say this was not one of the family's finer moments. I mean, look at the thing (ours was white, and it did look a *little* better). At least we got the XR2, which had a 132 hp turbocharged 4. As a power-addicted youngster, I think the appeal of this car versus the recently introduced Miata was that it had a bit more balls, and it didn't seem as much of a girly car. Oh, youth. It did also have the possibility of putting more than 2 people in it - see the rear seat! The integrated tonneau cover was pretty slick, but being all manual you had to get out of the car to put the top up or down.

This car wasn't that great than. But it wasn't all bad. It's a convertible, and as I've rediscovered with my own recently purchased convertible, I forgot what a blast a drop-top is. And it was quick. Around 7.5 to 60 as I recall, which beat the girly-Mazda by something like 1.5 seconds. Torque steer was a handful in 1st and 2nd, so a firm hold and a little arm wrestling was required.

I really don't have a huge amount to say about this car. It should qualify as a footnote in my automotive history, except I learned to drive a manual in it. As did my mom, who hated this car. She called it "the tin death trap," or something equally morbid. It didn't feel like the most solid car. But learning to drive manual resulted in my mom eventually getting a quite remarkable car, a '94 240SX, which I'll write about in the future.

One more thing. The Capri was based on a Ford of Australia vehicle. Might also have been called a Capri. Ford still makes some Aussie specfic cars, but this saga obviously didn't leave them with a great outlook, as they've not done anything like this with their models from down under since. GM isn't having much better luck, although the new G8 seems like a nice car. Wait, what car was I writing about? Unlike the previous 2 cars I had driven, the Capri did not leave much of a mark on this enthusiast's soul. That's perhaps the best commentary on its failure.